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The Florida State Board of Education has approved temporary changes to the state's school grading system that are seen as a "safety net," allowing school grades to drop by no more than a single letter grade this year. Under the changes, which were proposed by Education Commissioner Tony Bennett, the grades of students attending special education centers also will not be factored into the grades of their "home" schools. Board members were divided in their opinions of the changes with some suggesting the grading system be overhauled.

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently vetoed a bill that would have offered a two-year "safety net" to teachers and principals with low ratings on the state's new evaluation system. Cuomo said he withdrew support in order to create a more rigorous teacher-evaluation system.

Some members of the State Board of Education in Indiana are questioning why Superintendent Glenda Ritz has not yet released A-to-F grades or teacher-effectiveness ratings for the 2012-13 school year and are seeking to shift the responsibility for the release from the Department of Education to a nonpartisan arm of the Legislature. The move comes as the state is overhauling its school-grading system in the wake of a controversy that led the former superintendent, Tony Bennett, to step down from his post as Florida's schools chief.

Educators in Michigan and other states that have adopted the Common Core State Standards are gearing up for implementation. While the standards are drawing criticism from some lawmakers, John Austin, president of the Michigan State Board of Education, says the standards ultimately will help schools compare student achievement on a national level. "We're not in the 19th century anymore, where you live your life in your own community and everything you need to learn and know, your local school board can determine," he said, adding, "We're in a global economy."

Florida's new school grading system will be reviewed by a panel of education officials at the request of the State Board of Education. Some superintendents have expressed concerns that the new system, which underwent changes last year, will result in lower school grades though student achievement might be improving. "We have other assessments that show kids making gains. When we're seeing it and this test isn't showing it. We've got a problem," Hillsborough County schools superintendent MaryEllen Elia said.

Indiana state superintendent Glenda Ritz said during a weekend event that she would like to replace the year-old, high-stakes reading test due to be administered next week to third-grade students. The exam -- put in place by Tony Bennett, whom Ritz ousted from office in November's election -- determines whether students can be promoted to the fourth grade. Ritz says the IREAD-3 test does not measure grade-level skills, while proponents say the test has improved literacy interventions and instruction in schools.